English Furniture: Antique or Reproduction? Take The Test!

I have just recommended English Classics to one of our readers and thought I might share more of their story with you. English Classics is a company out of Atlanta that sells antique English style furniture as well as reproductions. They have a large inventory of beautiful furniture and are well known among the designers of Atlanta for always having that special piece for their customers. They have regular shipments from England of antique and reproduction furniture and are also glad to do custom orders for that special piece you desire. You might also want to check out their blog articles with information on their own furniture as well as news from around the furniture industry. Very informative! Below we are highlighting some of their furniture pieces that we have grown to love and have included an article from their blog for your enjoyment. Take time to look over their website and learn something new!

Take our furniture test! Guess if each piece of furniture is an antique or reproduction. Find the answers at the bottom of our article. See more of this beautiful furniture at the English Classics website.


A - Walnut Dining Table
B - Oak Farm Table
C - Mahogany Sideboard
D - Cherry Dining Table
E - Oak Butler Tray
F - Mahogany Mirror
G - Oak Corner Cabinet
H - Welsh Dresser
I - Oak Occasional Table
J - Walnut Writing Table
K - Oyster Dresser


Article from the English Classics Blog:

IKEA Offers to Furnish $2.7 Million Home
Posted by Chris under Industry News on September 22, 2009.

So I know it seems sometimes that I just love to pick on IKEA (and maybe I do), but when I ran across this article, I just had to share it. The skinniest house in New York—more history here—which runs at 9.5' x 42', was built in 1873 and once housed Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, is up for sale at $2.7 mil. And who steps in to offer to furnish the place for up to $10,000? The laminate name that shines with the gloss of new and vibrant disposable furniture.

There is a great irony in furnishing a multimillion dollar home with furniture designed for dorm rooms. Everyone I know who lived off of IKEA furniture in college spent those four or so years gradually replacing each piece with better finds at thrift stores and antique shops. Of course, as with everything, there are exceptions, and so IKEA does beef up their line with somewhat higher quality items, but even so—$2.7 million? Maybe I just don't get it down here in the Deep South of Atlanta, where we take low real estate prices and large spaces for granted.

Still, what can be more space-saving than a secretary bookcase combination or, for that matter, the ever-useful pembroke table? The English, who have historically had smaller living spaces than their expansive cousins over the pond, have specialized in space-saving cabinetry for hundreds of years. In fact, many of IKEA's designs, which sometimes present themselves with an air of ingeniously patented innovation, are simply borrowed from Old World cabinetmakers.

So if the buyers of this unique home have the taste (and the wallet) to purchase a charming, historical property, I really can't see them letting IKEA's designers have their way with the place. Who knows—maybe they'll shop at English Classics?

Test Answers:

A - Reproduction - Walnut Round Pedestal Dining Table
B - Reproduction - Oak Draw Leaf Farm Table - Georgian Period
C - Antique - Victorian Mahogany Sideboard, circa 1880.
D - Reproduction - English Round Cherry Dining Table
E - Antique - Oak Butler Tray Table, circa 1920.
F - Antique - Edwardian Mahogany Mirror, circa 1910.
G - Reproduction - Rustic Oak Corner Cabinet
H - Antique - Welsh Dresser in Oak, circa 1900.
I - Antique - Oak Occasional Table, circa 1920.
J - Reproduction - English Walnut Writing Table
K - Reproduction - Yew Wood Oyster Dresser